Third Lake near Ely: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Within Saint Louis County, Minnesota, you have Third Lake. Country round the bank runs to pine and birch. The water covers some 42 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline comes to about 0.9 miles, small enough to learn in a day. You are 15 miles from Ely. The big place round here is Thunder Bay, 129 miles distant. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Third Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Saint Louis County records list yellow perch, northern pike and white sucker among the fish reported. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. The shape of Third Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 2°F in January up to 65°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about late April to mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That is the shape of the year on Third Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Big Lake is 1.9 miles off. Treat access at Third Lake as something to verify.